5 Of The Most Under Hyped Bike Products

There is an endless stream of expensive new cycling tech hitting the market, but sometimes the best performance gains come from the gear that flies under the radar. In this video, we break down five highly underrated products—from mid-tier framesets that rival the pros’ bikes to game-changing tubeless valves and advanced chain lubes. We also discuss why “older” tech, like 11-speed groupsets and round handlebars, might actually be the smarter choice for your riding.

Chapters: ⏱️
0:00 – Intro
0:21 – Mid-Tier Framesets
2:16 – Advanced Wet Lube
4:52 – Round Handlebars
5:46 – Valves
7:08 – 11-Speed Groupsets

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That’s our list of the most underhyped gear, but we want to know what you think! 👇 What is one cycling product or component that you swear by, but nobody else seems to talk about?

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[Music] There are loads of cycling products out there that help make your riding easier, more fun, more comfortable, and crucially allow you to go faster for the same effort. However, for whatever reason, despite being brilliant, there are several things that we feel are highly underrated. First up, mid tier frame sets. What are we talking about here? Well, in the case of Pinerella, it would be the Pinerella F7 that Alex has as opposed to the top of the range Dogmarf that I have. Or for Canyon, for example, it would be the Aero CFSLX instead of the Aero CFR at the top of the range. What tends to happen is people tend to, and the media, and we’re guilty of this, hype up the very top of the range cuz it’s the top of the range and it’s exciting. and also the entry-level stuff as well as being the most affordable. But the mid tier doesn’t tend to get the attention that it perhaps deserves. What you get with a mid-tier frame is typically the same aerodynamics as the top of the range one, which is the single most important aspect of performance for a road bike. In terms of the carbon layup, it’s typically different. is slightly less expensive and they use usually a few fewer pieces or different modulus carbon and the result of that is a slight weight increase but it’s not by much. You’re looking at around 150 to 200 g typically which if you work out the difference that makes on a climb is pretty pretty small. On top of that, the stiffness is usually not quite as much or is said to be not quite as stiff as the top of the range stuff. But in our experience, that’s indistinguishable to most riders. And ride feel is subjective. But in some instances, some riders do actually prefer the ride feel of a mid-tier frame set. As you spend more money on bike stuff, performance does increase, but it really is a case of diminishing returns. And with mid-tier frame sets, you’re typically looking at around 90 to 95% of the performance of the top of the range stuff, but for about half the price, which seems like an absolutely mega deal to me. Next on our list is lube. And this is because I feel at this point chain waxing has had a lot of hype, deservedly so. It helps your components last longer and helps keeps your parts cleaner. I mean, this is a bike that’s got a wax chain on it. I’ve ridden it out in the dirt, hence the dirt on the frame. But look, look at this. Look at that clean finger. Wouldn’t get that with lube. A wax chain is slightly more efficient, too. However, there are loads of advantages to lube. And there have been some big advancements in lube technology. Now, I don’t know what kind of lube you were thinking about, but I was thinking about this silk synergetic. Now, there are loads of advantages to wet lubes. Firstly, it’s super quick and easy to apply them. It takes way less time than waxing your chain. You can do it right before a ride. You can even do it during a ride if you need to. But not all wet lubes are equal. And as I mentioned, there’s been some big technological advancements. And that’s where synergetic comes in. So, this has been independently tested. It’s not just me saying it. Adam Kierin at zero friction cycles has done a load of research on this. The additives in this are tungsten dulfide which is a low friction additive and also zinc dial dthophosphate which is said to combine with the tungsten dulfide to form something which is known as a triofilm. You don’t need to know about that. What you need to know is that it’s highly attracted to itself. Not in the way that you would describe Dan Lloyd when he’s taking topless gym selfies for GCN show thumbnails, but in a way that means it strongly adheres to the chain and doesn’t get washed off as easily. What this means is that when you’re riding in wet conditions, your chain stays lubed, which is absolutely crucial for reducing friction and protecting your components. And it’s much better at sticking to your chain in wet conditions than wax. Now, I actually tested a chain that was treated with synergetic uh in a lab, and it was only slightly less efficient uh even when dirty than a wax chain, which says a lot about the performance of this stuff. I 10 out of 10 wholeheartedly recommend this stuff. Plus, like some other wet lubes, it doesn’t turn your chain black after one ride. Um, but I still use wax chains. Of course, I do. It’s me. But, uh, in certain situations, especially when I’m riding in the wet in England, that’s my go-to. For practicality, you can’t beat a round bar. And in my opinion, not enough bikes come with them these days. If you’re wanting to attach accessories onto your bars, such as, well, lights, action cameras, bells, bags, wahoos, triars, whatever you can think of. It’s so much easier to do it on a round bar. Plus, round bars are super comfortable. Don’t get me wrong, I love neat Aero integrated cockpits. They look super sleek and super cool, but there are several applications such as riding ultra endurance or gravel where I just think a round bar is hard to beat. I mean, there are ways that you can attach accessories onto Aero cockpits, but it’s usually just less practical and a lot more expensive. The next one is valves. Now, I first found out about these at the Taipei Bike Show nearly a year ago, and I think they’re an absolute gamecher, and that well, all new bikes should be coming with these and not the traditional press valves. What they are is basically an updated version, an improved version of the classic press to valve that allows for three times the airflow of a standard press valve. And they’re made by several different brands at this point. Uh these ones have to be made by Top Peak. Why is this important though? Why do I think it’s a game changer? Well, you can pump up tubeless tires and seat the tires much more easily because of that increased air flow using just a standard floor pump. You don’t need a compressor. It also means if you get a puncture at the side of the road and you’re using your hand pump, a little mini one, then you can pump up your tires much more easily with that, too. Now, you can replace the entire valve and they don’t get as clogged with sealant as easily, but you can also keep your existing valve in there and then just replace the end piece to get that extra air flow, too. I think these would be really useful for everyone, but especially if you’re using tubeless, as a lot of people are these days, yet I don’t really know anyone that’s using better flow valves. And lastly, 11-speed group sets, specifically hyperglide. Now, 12speed, even now 13-speed, it’s all the rage. It’s great, but 11-speed group sets are great, too. The shifting quality on 11-speed, 105, and Altegra is absolutely blowing brilliant. And I remember at the time when 12speed group sets were about to come out, thinking, how can they improve the shifting on this? It already is absolutely superb. Well, they did improve the shifting quality. Fair play. Although only marginally, and that was thanks in part down to Hyperglide, which is a technology to improve shifting that Shimano uses and is largely taken for granted by most of us. Now, all the little ramps and shapes of all the sprockets on your cassette are precisely engineered and positioned to help the chain transition across different sprockets as smoothly and as quickly as possible. And it’s brilliant. Now, following the introduction of 12speed and now 13-speed, the great news is is that there’s loads of 11-speed components and bikes available at reduced prices. There’s loads of really good not that used used stuff out there as well. And this is great news because it’s absolutely fantastic kit and it works really well. And I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that if Taday Pagatcha was forced to use 11 speed Shimano Jor instead of the 12speed he’s been using all year, he still would have won all the same races that he’s won this year. Such is the difference. Yes, 12speed is a technological step up slightly, but the 11-speed stuff still works incredibly well. And for that reason, 11speed is underhyped or underrated, whatever you prefer. So, there you go. That’s what I think are the things that are the most underhyped, underrated at the moment. But I want to know what you think. So, let us know your suggestions in the comments section below. Might include them in another video. I’m going to go now. Hope you’ve enjoyed it. Love you. Bye.